Effect of an 18-Month Meditation Training on Telomeres in Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of the Age-Well Randomized Controlled Trial.
Perla Kaliman, María Jesús Álvarez-López, Asrar Lehodey, Daniel Fernández, Anne Chocat, Marco Schlosser, Vincent de la Sayette, Denis Vivien, Natalie L. Marchant, Gaël Chételat, Antoine Lutz, Géraldine Poisnel
Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100398 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 137 |
| Population | Older adults age ≥65 years without cognitive impairment |
| Interventions | meditation training non-native language training passive control |
| Duration | 18-month intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Aging Pbmc Personality Prevention Randomized controlled trial Telomere |
| Key findings | No significant main effect of an 18-month meditation training program on telomere length was found compared to control groups, but within the meditation group, class attendance and responsiveness correlated with longer telomeres. |
Abstract
Shorter telomeres are associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and age-related diseases. Developing interventions to promote healthy aging by preserving telomere integrity is of paramount importance. Here, we investigated the effect of an 18-month meditation intervention on telomere length (TL) measures in older people without cognitive impairment. A total of 137 adults age ≥65 years were randomized to one of the 3 groups (meditation training, non-native language training, or passive control). We evaluated the 50th and 20th percentile TL and the percentage of critically short telomeres (<3 kbp) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Mixed model analysis showed a time effect indicating a general decrease on the 50th percentile TL (F = 80.72, p adjusted < .001), without a significant group effect or time × group interaction. No significant effect was detected in the 20th percentile TL or the percentage of critically short telomeres. Secondary analysis showed that only in the meditation training group 1) the 50th percentile TL positively correlated with class attendance time (r = 0.45, p adjusted < .011), 2) the 50th and 20th percentile TL positively correlated with responsiveness to the intervention, evaluated through a composite score (r = 0.46, p adjusted < .010 and r = 0.41, p adjusted = .029, respectively), and 3) lower scores on a measure of the personality trait "openness to experience" correlated with a lower percentage of critically short telomeres after the intervention (r = 0.44, p adjusted = .015). In older adults, we found no evidence for a main effect of an 18-month meditation training program on TL compared with the control groups. Our findings highlight the importance of considering the impact of moderating factors when measuring the effectiveness of meditation-based trainings.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Why could meditation practice help promote mental health and well-being in aging? Alzheimer's Research & Therapy June 22, 2018
- The Age‐Well randomized controlled trial of the Medit‐Ageing European project: Effect of meditation or foreign language training on brain and mental health in older adults Alzheimer's & Dementia 2018
- Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion Mindfulness February 22, 2016
- The Neural Mechanisms of Meditative Practices: Novel Approaches for Healthy Aging Current behavioral neuroscience reports October 18, 2016
and 11 more in the library